Mental resilience does not come easy, but its benefits are far-reaching. Read on to learn how you can build up mental strength so that you are ready to face any challenge that comes your way.
Get out and exercise
As little as 10-to-15 minutes of physical exercise has been found to improve mental health. If you do not currently have an exercise routine, start small with a quick walk around the block at lunch, or park a little farther away from the entrance at the store. Once you become more comfortable with moving around and finding your preferred methods of exercise, you can establish a routine that fits in some physical activity every day. Physical endurance leads to mental endurance.
Check in on your physical health
Take stock next time you find yourself in a stressful situation: your shoulders may be hunched up to your ears, you may have been grinding your teeth, your tongue may be pressing against the roof of your mouth, your muscles may be clenched, your heart may be beating more quickly than normal, you may have been biting your nails, you may feel a tension headache near your temples and you may even have a stomachache. This is the mind/body connection in action, and it is a microcosm of how poor physical health can negatively impact your mental health. After your body goes into fight-or-flight, your mind becomes exhausted due to the physical and mental stress. Learn how to be in control of your psychosomatic responses to mentally challenging events so that you can build up your resilience to them.
Get plenty of sleep
Mental health conditions like — anxiety disorders, depression, obsessive compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, bipolar disorder and substance abuse disorder — have been shown to be associated with not being able to fall asleep, sleeping too much or too little, not getting restful sleep and having nightmares. In the long run, the lack of sleep brought on by mental health conditions will only exacerbate the conditions themselves. Deprivation of restful sleep can compound symptoms like stress, anxiety, and depression and can also lead to other complications like — memory issues, appetite changes, irritability, difficulty concentrating, panic attacks, nightmares and emotional dysregulation. You will not be able to improve mental strength or toughness running on a few hours of sleep.
Set boundaries
Whether that means politely turning down a party invitation or removing a toxic relationship from your life, you should only hold space for the things that serve you and clear away the things that do not. Setting boundaries and standing up for yourself can be empowering, and this self-confidence will help you feel like you can take on the world.
Go to therapy or counseling
Simply talking to another person can do wonders for mental health and wellness. While certainly not a cure, there exist several therapy modalities that have been shown to be effective at treating mental health disorders. Therapy can also teach you coping skills for getting through tough times, which will build up your mental stamina over time.
Accept and address your feelings
Mental health, good or bad, has a way of compounding issues. When you’re feeling depressed and not able to tend to your responsibilities, the mind has a way of instantaneously triggering negative self-talk, telling you that you are worthless or incapable. As you improve your mental health, you will learn to recognize and confront these thoughts. Making positive mental health changes entails accepting who you are, bad days and all, and showing yourself some grace.
Be at peace with the fact that things won’t always go your way
Striving for perfection will ultimately lead to disappointment. A common downfall is setting unrealistic goals for yourself, being unable to attain them, and then kicking yourself for being inadequate. This negative commentary is a product of mental health challenges. When you feel secure in yourself and recognize what you are capable of, you will learn how to set yourself up for success. Rather than aiming to clean the entire house over the weekend, you may promise yourself to tidy up the bedroom and then make a plan for when each remaining room should be cleaned. Mental resilience allows you to make healthy concessions so that you don’t sweat the small stuff.
Find coping skills that work for you
Mental resilience or mental strength looks different for each person. Whether the tips on this list work for you or you have perfected your own ways of tending to your mental health, you’re more likely to check in with yourself when you feel your methods are effective.
Ask for help when you need it
There is no shame in admitting that you are struggling or that you want to learn more about how you can hone your mental resilience.
Silvermist Recovery is here to help you learn how to improve mental toughness. Reach out today at 724-268-4858 to learn how to take charge of your mental health.